There are a number of children that are able to go throughout their day without one fear holding them back, but there are others that encounter a never-ending series of things that frighten them. They are afraid of strangers, the dark, storms, and animals or just about anything that may be new or different.
As the child grows, and gains experiences in the different environments their fears sometimes are replaced with new fears. There are some general guidelines to try and help prevent the fears from growing to an even larger issue. It is essential to determine if the fear is age-appropriate. Each fear has its characteristic age and pattern.
Try not to overreact to your child’s fears. That is not to say ignore them, but be aware of how you respond to them to help prevent the fear from growing larger. Attempt to be matter-of-factly, support the child as the try and confront the fear. It is also helpful to reinforce coping behaviors. One key to help a child be less fearful is to praise and reward coping behaviors.
Pinpointing the fear will also help to determine how to try and overcome or cope with it. If they are afraid of dogs, what kind of dogs? Small? Big? Talk to the child and gauge their responses in those fearful situations to help understand their exact fear and triggers. There are many different degrees of fear, and being able to evaluate how to help control the exposure to the frightening situation.
Another idea is to make a fear list. Once the child can gauge their fears by using a scale, you can begin to divide the fear into more manageable pieces. At the bottom of the list, you can determine the least threatening fears and move up to the greater anxieties. Again, if they are afraid of dogs, try simply showing them pictures of cute puppies. Moving on to pictures of larger dogs. Go to a local pet store, and look at the dogs behind the glass. Slow progression, but progress just the same.